Safe Patient Project

Walking with limp and cane after hip surgery

Posted 04/02/09 at 6:35 pm

I had a left hip surgery in 2007 and the doctor used a round silver ball and taped it to my left leg to measure the length of the bone in the x-ray room. I thought this would be good and to make my left leg the length of my right leg that I had 3 previous hip surgeries. Well, my left leg is 1" shorter than my right and now I still walk with a limp and use a cane.

I am uneven and I really want to do yard work safely. But I need help at times with other things as I cannot do many things with both hips being replaced. Now I am 5′ instead of 5’2" as my left leg is 1" shorter than my right and my right became shorter due to three hip displacements within ten years. One hip is to last ten years.

I do not have mega bucks to pay anyone to help me in my house. The doctor really could not explain that my left leg would be shorter. I thought my left leg would be same length as my right hip after my left hip surgery.